The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is warning consumers about the Peloton Tread+ after several incidents of small children and a pet being injured beneath the treadmill and one child being killed.
The urgent warning comes less than a month after Peloton itself released news of the child’s death as the result of the incident related to Peloton Tread+ and the CPSC’s announcement of an investigation into that incident. At the time of the announcement, Peloton declined to offer more details about the death or other incidents related to the Tread+ “out of respect for these families and their privacy.”
At this time, Peloton is not issuing a voluntary recall of the Tread+ and is not stopping the sale of the product, prompting a response from Consumer Reports, a nonprofit consumer watchdog group.
"You'd think that the CPSC could easily order a recall in a case like this, but it can't, thanks to laws on the books that put corporate public relations ahead of children's lives," William Wallace, manager of safety policy at Consumer Reports, said in a statement to CNN. "This warning by the CPSC indicates that Peloton is not putting safety first, and there's little the agency can do about it right now beyond alerting the public."
The CPSC is continuing to investigate all known incidents of injury or death related to the Peloton Tread+, according to the agency.
To date, CPSC is aware of 39 incidents including the death of the child. The Peloton Tread+ poses serious risks to children for abrasions, fractures and death, according to the CPSC. In light of multiple reports of children becoming entrapped, pinned and pulled under the rear roller of the product, CPSC urges consumers with children at home to stop using the product immediately. This video demonstrates the hazard to children posed by the Tread+. (Warning: The video content may be disturbing to viewers.) It is believed that at least one incident occurred while a parent was running on the treadmill, suggesting that the hazard cannot be avoided simply by locking the device when not in use. Reports of a pet and objects being sucked beneath the Tread+ also suggest possible harm to the user if the user loses balance as a result, according to the CPSC.
The agency is urging consumers to stop using the Peloton Tread+ if there are small children or pets at home. Incidents suggest that children may be seriously injured while the Tread+ is being used by an adult, not just when a child has unsupervised access to the machine. If consumers must continue to use the product, CPSC urges consumers to use the product only in a locked room to prevent access to children and pets while the treadmill is in use. Keep all objects, including exercise balls and other equipment, away from the treadmill. When not in use, unplug the Tread+ and store the safety key away from the device and out of reach of children.
Peloton shared the following statement with the CPSC: “The Consumer Product Safety Commission’s unilateral press release about the Peloton Tread+ treadmill is inaccurate and misleading. The Tread+ is safe for Members to use in their homes and comes with safety instructions and warnings to ensure its safe use. Like all motorized exercise equipment, the Tread+ can pose hazards if the warnings and safety instructions are not followed. The Tread+ is not for children under 16. Peloton warns Members not to let children use the Tread+ and to keep children, pets, and objects away from the Tread+ at all times. Any owner of a treadmill – whether made by Peloton or not – should follow these warnings, as they are included in the applicable safety standards, which the Peloton Tread+ meets.”
Peloton recently announced that on April 1 it completed its purchase of commercial fitness equipment manufacturer Precor.